I just got back from an exhilarating few days at the 2013 Dell World event last week, and once again I came away exceedingly impressed with the way Dell has championed the social business conversation within its community. It’s no wonder the Dell chapter in our Amazon best-selling book The Social Employee has garnered so much positive feedback from our readers! The conference was full of great discussions, anchored by the riveting keynote speech from Michael Dell (@MichaelDell). Make no mistake: Dell is a social business that understands culture comes first!

On Thursday, I took part in a “fireside chat” with Amy Heiss (@AmyHatDell), who heads employee training, activation, and engagement for Dell’s SMAC-U program. Afterward, I had the privilege of interacting with a wide range of conference-goers during a book signing for The Social Employee! We were able to cover a lot of ground during my 15-minute conversation with Heiss, including the difference between alignment and activation, the value of rewarding good behavior, and why “the why” must drive all aspects of social business initiatives. I have to say that Amy certainly knows how to make a person comfortable and keep the conversation rolling along!

Dell World 2013 Press Conference

Also, I had the opportunity to chat with Michael Dell (@MichaelDell) at Dell World’s Press Conference shortly after his keynote. Michael told me that Dell is leveraging the potential of Dell’s knowledge and expertise of social media media to help non-profit and volunteering organizations.

This work is so important it must be given every chance of success. Many organizations are frustrated by a lack of resources through which to scale their fundraising and social impact. With Dell’s help to better understand how social media works, these organizations will infinitely reach more people, and build sustainable donor communities and scale their social impact.

Just the opportunity of having a private moment with Michael Dell was amazing, but even more amazing is to hear how Dell is helping non-profits using their knowledge of social media.

Thanks once again to all brilliant minds at Dell—both for their contributions to The Social Employee and for inviting me to take part in Dell World 2013! And stay tuned: the next stop in the @SocialEmployee revolution is the IBM Connect Conference, from January 26-30, 2014.

Disclosure: I was an invited guest of Dell World 2013 in Austin for the conference.

Below are recent endorsements for The Social Employee (McGraw-Hill, August 2013) by Tom Peters and David Aaker on their social networks, but if you want to see more of their endorsements click here.

In The Social Employee, we go behind the scenes with several leading brands—such as IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo—pulling the lid off the inspiring social business success stories that have propelled these companies into the 21st century. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

See what others are saying about The Social Employee and order your copy today!

Please check out @SocialEmployee media buzz!

“Great brands have always started on the inside, but why are companies taking so long to leverage the great opportunities offered by internal social media? . . . The Social Employee lifts the lid on this potential and provides guidance for businesses everywhere.” —JEZ FRAMPTON, Global Chairman and CEO, Interbrand

The Social Employee offers an unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at the social business success stories of some of the biggest brand names in the business world, including IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

The brands that leverage their employee base in order to engage customers and prospects through social media are the ones destined to win the marketing wars. This book not only details the astronomical rise of the social employee, but also outlines the innovative methods that leading companies have employed to foster cultures of enthusiastic and engaged workers.

FOREWORD by David C. Edelman, Global Co-Leader, Digital Marketing & Sales Practice, McKinsey & Company